Stretching and Flexibility Exercises

  • Harvard Health Online Course
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Doing simple stretching exercises just two or three times a week can dramatically help you increase flexibility, improve balance, and relieve pain caused by muscle and joint stiffness.
  • Online; Self-Paced

$29.95

Certificate

Two Weeks, 2-6 Hours/Week

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Overview

Why stretch? Because it can help you in countless ways. Doing stretching and flexibility exercises just two to three times a week can relieve back pain, stiff necks, and sore knees when tight muscles are to blame. It can counteract too much sitting. If you’re a tennis player, golfer, hiker, or biker, a stretching program can enhance your performance. And as you age, stretching helps keep you active and flexible—and may help prevent falls. 

In our online course, you’ll enjoy a stretching program that promises to improve your flexibility. Key to this course is our collection of video demonstrations that show you proper form and movement for seven warm-ups, 19 floor stretches, 12 seated stretches, and six standing stretches.

Learning Objectives

  • Getting Started
  • Stretching Toward Better Health
  • Floor Stretches
  • Seated and Standing Stretches
  • Key Takeaways
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Program Topics